Clearing The Mind
by badly-knitted
Summary: A hot shower can make Ryo's body feel clean and refreshed, but there's something that works far better than hot water to wash away unwanted thoughts. Set after Vol. 7.


**Title:** Clearing The Mind

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Ryo, Dee.

 **Rating:** PG-13

 **Setting:** After Vol. 7.

 **Summary:** A hot shower can make Ryo's body feel clean and refreshed, but there's something that works far better than hot water to wash away unwanted thoughts.

 **Word Count:** 600

 **Written For:** Yahtzee prompt 'Zesty' at getyourwordsout.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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Showering before work was by necessity a hurried affair; mornings always ended up being a bit rushed no matter how much Ryo tried to prepare everything from clothes to lunches the night before. Getting himself and his foster son up, showered, dressed, fed, and out of the apartment on time never went as smoothly as he thought it should; essential items inevitably went missing, or someone would oversleep, or something would get spilled and have to be cleaned up. There were a thousand things that could disrupt the morning routine, leading to a mad dash to avoid being late, and any time Dee spent the night, mornings gained a whole new level of potential complications.

After work was another matter entirely.

Coming home tired and sweaty after a long day of investigating homicides and other serious crimes, Ryo relished the opportunity to wash away the stresses and accumulated grime of the day under a steaming hot shower. That was when he'd grant himself permission to linger under the spray, making lavish use of scented shower gels, shampoo, conditioner, and anything else he thought would help him to feel relaxed and refreshed, banishing the smells of blood and death and garbage from his nose.

The zesty scent of his citrus body wash, combined with apple-scented shampoo and conditioner, lingered on his body and hair as he finally turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, briskly drying himself on one of the big, soft towels hanging on the rail. After digging around in dumpsters earlier searching for anything that could shed light on the identity of a body found in one of them, he'd wondered if he'd ever feel clean again. His long, hot shower had done the trick though; he felt refreshed and revitalised. He only wished it was as easy to wash away the images of what he'd seen from his mind as it was to wash away the dirt and sweat from his body. Ah well, couldn't have everything; feeling zestfully clean was good enough for now, and besides, he had a very effective way of banishing unwanted thoughts and memories from his mind these days.

Thoroughly dry, he made his way into his bedroom and dressed in comfortable casuals. Bikky was spending the night at a friend's so there was no reason for Ryo to stay home. Slipping into jacket and shoes, he shoved keys and phone into his pockets and headed across town to Dee's place.

Dee opened the door almost immediately, bare-chested, sweatpants hanging low on his hips, hair still damp from the shower, the towel he'd been using to dry it draped casually over one shoulder. Ryo stepped inside, breathing in the scent of vanilla rising from Dee's warm skin, almost enough to make his mouth water.

"You want to order takeout?" Dee asked.

Ryo shook his head. "Not hungry right now; maybe later."

"Fine with me." Dee pulled his partner close, tugging his t-shirt free from his jeans to slide warm hands underneath, eager for the feel of bare skin beneath his palms; Ryo wasn't the only one who needed to forget the day's events for a while. "You smell good."

"So do you."

The first kiss was slow, unhurried; there was plenty of time. As they broke apart they made their way into the bedroom. Later, they'd both need another shower, this time to wash away the sweat and stickiness resulting from activities far more enjoyable than dumpster diving, but for now all they needed was each other. Locked together in passion, the rest of the world ceased to exist.

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The End


End file.
